Under The Veils Of The Night
by Dr.Lust
Summary: [VHxPotO xover] Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, is considered evil, and the Holy Order sends Van Helsing after him. But things turn weird when secrets come to surface and true Evil enters… A whirlpool of danger, love, obsession and cruelty. Please Review!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** _Hello everyone! I hope you are in mood for a fic that's a cross-over between Van Helsing and The Phantom of the Opera, because this is what this story is gonna be! We're gonna have most of the basic characters from both movies in it, and I promise the plot will be interesting! I'll probably change a few things from the movies to make them fit together. For example, the plot is set in 1888, despite the fact that the PotO was in 1870… Not such a big nuisance, this time transition, is it? Anyway, I'm gonna tell you when things change, so don't worry! Now read and enjoy, and please be as kind as to review!_

**Disclaimer:** _Painful to say, but I own neither Van Helsing nor the Phantom of the Opera… That's why I try to comfort myself by writing this story…_

**Summary:** _Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, is considered evil, and the Holy Order sends Van Helsing after him. But things turn weird when secrets come to surface and true Evil enters…_

**Rating:** _Rated T for the time being. Maybe later the rating will go up. Maybe._

**Under The Veils Of The Night**

Chapter 1

_Rome, the Vatican City, 1888__ A.D._

It was dawn when Van Helsing returned to Rome, and the sky was painted reddish and golden with the first glorious rays of the sun when he entered the Vatican City, and St. Peter's Cathedral. His mission in Paris was successful, at least in his eyes. Mr. Hyde was no more, even if that meant that he was dead. However, the hunter knew that Cardinal Jinette would not be entirely pleased, and it would not be the first time. He requested that Van Helsing brought back his targets alive, so that the Order could extricate their better half. But this could not be achieved most of the times, as it was impossible to reason with evil creatures. As a result, they ended up slaughtered by Van Helsing's hand. Still, the Cardinal would not seem to understand that.

Upon entering the confessional, he already knew what awaited him after he would have uttered his first words. He inhaled deeply and spoke.

"Bless me father for I…"

"Sinned, yes, I know. You are very good at that", came the Cardinal's expected comment. "You shattered the Rose window!"

"Well, not to split hairs here, but it was Mr. Hyde who did the shattering", Van Helsing protested with a humorous hint in his voice. The Cardinal ignored him.

"Thirteenth century. Over three hundred years old!", he lamented. "I wish you a week in Hell for that", he turned viciously to him.

"It would be a nice reprieve", the hunter snapped back, his eyes hard.

"Don't get me wrong… Your results are unquestionable, but your methods attract far too much attention. "Wanted" posters? We are not pleased!", he reprimanded the hunter.

"Do you think I like being the most wanted man in Europe? Why don't you and the Order do something about it?", he complained.

"Because we do not exist!", the Cardinal replied abruptly and opened the window that separated them.

"Well then neither do I!", Van Helsing snapped back and moved to exit the confessional, but right then Jinette pulled a lever and the exit was blocked by a metallic barrier.

"When we found you crawling up the steps of this church, half-dead, it was clear to all of us that you had been sent to do God's work", the Cardinal said and did the sign of the cross.

"Why can't He do it Himself?"

"Don't blaspheme!", he scolded Van Helsing, and, by pulling another lever, a secret door opened in the back of the confessional. "You already lost your memory as a penance for past sins. If you wish to recover it, I suggest you continue to heed the call", he told Van Helsing as he descended the stairs revealed behind the secret door. The hunter followed him. "Without us, the world would be in darkness. Governments and empires come and go... but we have kept mankind safe since time immemorial. We are the last defence against evil. An evil that the rest of mankind has no idea even exists", he continued his monologue as both of them walked inside a large room that looked like a chemical laboratory and was crowded with men of all kinds of religions.

"To you these monsters are just evil beings to be vanquished, but... I'm the one standing there when they die, and become the men they once were", Van Helsing said in a voice that sounded hard, but there was truly some pain hidden in it.

"For you, my good son, this is all a test of faith", the Cardinal tried to reassure Van Helsing, who looked at him rather wearily. "And now we need you to go to Paris", Jinette announced.

"What? Paris? I just came from there! You could have told me earlier!", the hunter protested.

"Yes, I know. But word came to us, while you were returning to Rome, that a strange creature has been plaguing the Opera House of Paris lately. It is believed to be a man, but we cannot be sure; no one has ever seen him, or at least no one has confessed to have seen him. Tales and legends go around about him, but the truth is that he has sent threatening notes to the managers of the theater and to their patron, as well as to Carlotta, the Prima Donna, signing them as "Opera Ghost"… People call him "The Phantom of the Opera"… He is believed to have sabotaged the Prima Donna's performances, and also said to have committed murder… Also the patron, the Viscount de Chagny, has complained that this creature poses a threat to Christine Daae…"

"Christine Daae?"

"The only daughter of the famous Violin player, Gustav Daae, who passed away years ago," the Cardinal explained as Christine's picture was projected on the wall. "Now she lives in the dormitories of the Opera House and is a ballerina. A ballerina with a singing voice that equals that of a talented soprano. The Phantom seems to be after her, but the police have been unable to track him. You understand that we must do something before things get out of control. He is believed to be evil, a creature of the darkness…"

"How can you be sure that he's evil?"

"He has committed murder, he does not appear under the light of the day, he threatens innocent people. Need more proof? Yes, we believe he is evil. However mysterious he might sound, he doesn't seem to be such a difficult target for you. You have… killed more dangerous creatures than the Phantom", the Cardinal said, stressing the word "killed". "We want the Phantom alive", he concluded and glared at Van Helsing, who simply narrowed his eyes and stared at the picture of Christine Daae. He disliked Jinette's reprimands. Wouldn't he ever be pleased? "So we decided that you should carry out this mission, before going after Dracula…"

"Dracula?", Van Helsing wondered and his attention was now back to the Cardinal.

"Yes, Dracula. Lording over Transylvania, an accursed land, terrorized by all sorts of nightmarish creatures… But we will talk about that when you return from Paris."

Having spoken thus, the Cardinal walked away, leaving Van Helsing to stare back at Christine's picture. Who was this so-called Phantom? And why did he plague the Opera House only and not the whole of Paris? Why did he act like that only lately? Wasn't he known before? And what did this have to do with this Christine Daae? Why was the Phantom after her? The hunter was sure that there was very much hiding behind the information the Cardinal gave him, and he was determined to find out all secrets…

**Author's note:** _Ah, it's great to have two muses at a time! And my muses are Van Helsing and the Phantom, of course… I'm in love with both of them, lol! Okay to get serious now, Van Helsing is sent to "kill" the Phantom! Oh, I hate Jinette! How can he consider Erik evil??? I wanna see what will happen when Van Helsing gets to Paris and meets the Phantom! Do you not? If you do, review and the second chapter will come up soon!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** _I greet you all! Many thanks to __**Shoysrock, **__**Celtic**__**Aurora, **__**Elwyndra**__ and __**vamplady101**__ who reviewed! I love you so much, I really do!_

_Now I hope you'll like this chapter! Van Helsing gets to Paris… What will happen __there? Read to find out! Hehe…_

**Disclaimer:** _I still don't own Van Helsing or the Phantom of the Opera… Gotta do something about it…_

**Summary:** _Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, is considered evil, and the Holy Order sends Van Helsing after him. But things turn weird when secrets come to surface and true Evil enters…_

**Rating:** _Rated T for the time being. Maybe later the rating will go up. Maybe._

**Under The Veils Of The Night**

Chapter 2

_Paris, 1888 A.D._

Van Helsing arrived in Paris in the dead of night. Not a soul was to be seen in the streets, and the only sound he could hear was his horse's slow trotting on the cobblestones. There was no moon tonight and the night was a very dark and cold one. A bone-chilling wind was blowing and it swirled up the dust on the streets. As he approached the Notre Dame he felt a shiver running down his spine; it was the place where he only recently had fought and killed Mr. Hyde. The familiar "Wanted" posters of him where everywhere to be found, and the price was still at 2,000 francs. Apparently, nothing had changed during the interval between his two visits in the capital city of France.

Soon he made his way to the place where his new target had caused trouble, the Opera House of Paris. The hunter suspected that this was also the residing place of the Phantom. He dismounted his horse and bound the reins around the pole of a street lamp. Van Helsing pulled up his duster and lowered his hat over his eyes. He shot a cautious glance around before crossing the street and coming to stand before the entrance of the theater. He turned his eyes upwards, admiring the large building under the dim light of the street lamps. The sight was majestic. Truly, the Opera Populaire was a marvelous piece of architecture, a jewel for the city of Paris. The hunter lowered his gaze and fixed his eyes on the doors, where he noticed something. He narrowed his eyes to gain better vision, and he realized there was a large poster on one of the doors. It was about a masquerade ball that was to be held in the Opera Populaire the following evening. A masquerade ball… Van Helsing thought that he might be able to take advantage of this event and search for the Phantom. While he walked along the left front wall of the House pondering this, something caught his attention and he pinned himself against the wall, casting his gaze lower at an opening that was barred by a metallic netting and seemed like a window… or a secret door. What had caught his attention was a light that shone for a while through this opening before going out. Van Helsing slid on his back and down on the wall and got to his knees. He waited for a while, in case the light shone again, but it did not, so he bent before the opening and tried to look inside. He could see nothing but absolute darkness. Thinking that it might have been the Phantom who lit that light, Van Helsing tried to remove the metallic barrier, hoping to be able to enter the building. To his big surprise, the two shutters of the barrier opened quite easily. The hunter looked around once more, to ensure that nobody was watching him, and slid inside the Opera House.

In front of him there was a dark corridor; Van Helsing quickly decided to follow it. As he walked along it, his trained night vision caught the sight of a figure disappearing behind a turn. The hunter crossed the distance that separated him from the figure with big leaps and he reached the turn of the corridor. He could clearly see the figure now. To his surprise, it was that of a woman, and she was walking rather fast, glancing at times behind her, as if she had sensed that someone was following her. Van Helsing made another quick decision. He left his hiding place and started walking fast behind the woman, approaching her rapidly. She quickened her pace, but did not turn her head to look back.

"Madame!", he called at her, trying to keep his voice reasonably low. The woman froze in her steps. "Madame, wait, please", he asked of her softly and came to stand behind her. The woman slowly turned around to face him.

"Who are you, monsieur?", she asked firmly and lit the lamp she was holding. As the light shone on her features, he saw that she was fair-colored and probably in her early forties, and was wearing a dark dress. The hunter felt that there was nothing threatening about her. But the woman's reaction when the lamp's dim light glowed on Van Helsing's dark figure was much different. She gasped and uttered "You are… him! The one they call a murderer!", answering her own question, as she recognized the man with the duster and the wide-brimmed hat from the "Wanted" posters. It was a miracle that she did not drop the lamp she was holding.

"Calm down, Madame. I will not hurt you", he reassured her and lowered his duster, revealing his face. The woman looked at him cautiously, but defiantly. She was not one of those who scared easily.

"What do you want here? It is not a place you should be. I ask of you to leave!", she requested, trying not to sound rude.

"I'm looking for someone…", he ignored her demand. "And I'm looking for some answers", he told her and his eyes were boring hard into hers.

"Monsieur Van Helsing…"

"I see that you know my name", he interrupted her.

"Every citizen of Paris does. Now monsieur, if you are here for the Phantom, I suggest you leave him alone", she replied in the same attitude, already suspecting the reason why the hunter was here. She turned to leave, but he grabbed her upper arm and stopped her.

"How do you know it's him I want?"

"Who else could it be? Please, stay out of this", she said and freed her arm from his grasp.

"I cannot. I must find him. He has committed murder!"

"Have you not, monsieur? Don't seek to do justice here", she shot back and Van Helsing stood speechless for a moment. Clearly this woman was a very clever one.

"You don't know who I am", he finally told her coldly, but there was a trace of hurt in his voice.

"As you don't know who he is. Please, monsieur…"

"But you do, do you not?", he snapped.

"Please, monsieur…", she begged once more.

"I see you speak for the Phantom", he ignored her plea. "You refuse to reveal his secrets. What do you know, Madame? I'm not going to leave until I get some answers. And you have them. I can see it in your eyes", he told her, his eyes always fixed on hers.

"I cannot tell you anything. You seek to kill him, and I will not help you with that."

"I did not say I will kill him, I said I'm looking for answers", he told her, being on the verge of losing his patience. "I need to find out who he is. And I know about Christine Daae. I know he's after her", he played his best card, trying to convince this strange woman. She remained still for a moment and her eyes searched his. After a while she spoke.

"Very well then. Come with me, monsieur Van Helsing…", she said and turned around, leading the way across dark corridors until both of them reached her quarters. When they entered she lit a beautiful table lamp and offered the hunter a seat. He took off his hat and gloves and followed the woman's moves with his eyes as she came to sit down on a chair opposite him.

"You have not told me your name, Madame…", he requested politely.

"Giry", she replied dryly.

"Madame Giry… Please, I need you to understand that I am here to help you, I am here to put an end to this series of… unfortunate events that have occurred to the Opera House and its people… And we both know that the Phantom is the one responsible for them. Tell me what you know, Madame. For the sake of the innocents", he told her softly.

"Alright, monsieur. I will tell you what I know about him, but do not expect to catch him. And you must understand that my part in this story will end here, tonight, after I will have told you what I know."

"Very well. I listen."

"It was years ago…", she began narrating. "There was a traveling fair in the city… Gypsies. I was very young, studying to be a ballerina, one of many, living in the dormitories of the Opera House", she said and paused momentarily, her mind traveling back to the years of her youth. "Those gypsies were strange people. They did things that were scary and fascinating at the same time… An ugly man invited us to see the "Devil's child". There was a wooden cage, and inside it there was a boy with a hood over his head. I went with the other girls and stood in front of the cage, grasping the wooden bars. The boy was holding a toy in his hand, a monkey doll with cymbals… his only companion. He looked at me through the holes in the hood that were made for his eyes. It was the saddest gaze I have ever seen… Then that man stepped inside the cage and kicked the toy from his hands. He grabbed a large wooden a stick and started beating the boy. Everyone laughed, but me. He was tormenting him… Then he pulled the hood off of the boy's head and grasped him by the hair, so that we could see the face of the "Devil's child". What I saw, monsieur, was a sight I will never forget. The poor creature's face was awfully deformed... When the man let go of him he quickly put on the hood. Then the crowd began to disperse... I was the last to walk away, always looking back at him. There was so much sadness in my soul for the poor boy's fate… Before leaving I turned back once more, and what I saw shocked me. The boy was choking the man with a rope! I came and stood near the cage again, and when the man fell down dead the boy picked up his toy and lifted his head to see me. Then I heard the other gypsies calling "Murder!". I knew the police would be coming soon. I did not hesitate; I knew I had to help the boy. I took him by the hand and we ran to the Opera House. I opened a secret door, the same one you came in through, monsieur Van Helsing, and the boy got inside... I hid him from the world and its cruelties. He has known nothing else of life since then, except this Opera House. It was his playground and now his artistic domain. He is a genius! He's an architect and a designer. He's a composer and a magician… a genius, monsieur!", Madame Giry finished her tale crying out the last words. Van Helsing, who was listening carefully to her, not having interrupted her once, was now feeling somewhat confused. He felt pity and sympathy for his target's childhood, but on the other hand he had committed murder, and his mission was to capture him.

"Madame, it seems that genius has turned to insanity. I understand the Phantom has been living in this Opera House for years, but he only recently started causing serious trouble. There has to be a connection with Christine Daae. Please, I need you to tell me what Christine Daae's role in the case is. Why is the Phantom after her?"

"Monsieur Van Helsing, I told you all I know. I know nothing more, and I do not dare search for more. I am afraid I cannot help you any further…", she said and shook her head.

"There is going to be a masquerade ball in the Opera House tomorrow evening. Do you think the Phantom will appear?", the hunter kept on asking questions.

"I cannot know… He has not appeared for the last days, but I do not think he has forgotten about us...", she replied thoughtfully.

"I need to be here tomorrow, at the ball. If there's a chance he'll show up, I must be here", he said with determination, clenching his fist, while he looked Madame Giry in the eye.

"Maybe I can help you with that", she suggested, quite out of the blue. "I will give you a costume, so that you can attend the ball. Come here tomorrow, when the sun sets, through the same entrance. Remember, this will be the last thing I will do for you. I cannot help you any further. You will be alone from then on, monsieur Van Helsing."

"Thank you, Madame Giry", he told her softly and paused for a while before speaking again. "May I ask you, why have you trusted me in the first place? I am wanted as a murderer, and I know it's not only fear that made you tell me all this."

"I have heard about Dr. Jekyll… and Mr. Hyde. And I have learned to recognize it when people have dark intentions… You had none. But please, monsieur Van Helsing, do not betray my trust. I still advise you to stay out of this."

"We will meet again tomorrow, at sunset. Goodnight, Madame", he said and stood, putting on his hat and gloves. Then he left her quarters and the Opera House through the same secret door.

It would be tomorrow night, then. At the masquerade ball. Van Helsing had a hunch that the Phantom would appear, and he thought that it would be a great opportunity to meet his target without being noticed. And even if the Phantom did not choose to appear or make his presence known elsehow, the hunter knew that he would have the chance to sneak into the bowels of the theater and search for him, as it would be easy to makes his moves and pass unnoticed hidden in the colorful crowd.

Nobody was to been seen around when Van Helsing came out of the secret door. He crossed the road quickly and got to his horse. Deftly, he unbound the reins from around the street lamp's pole and mounted the horse. The next moment his dark figure was rapidly fading away, swallowed by the dark veils of the night...

**Author's note:** _Don't know about you, but I am fond of Madame Giry's character… She's so interesting, and I had a great time writing her part! Hope you liked the chapter… You will make me very happy if you review!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:** _Hello everybody! At last here is the third installment of this story! And I'm so much excited! I got eight (eight!) reviews for chapter 2! So my thanks go to __**Elwyndra, **__**Shoysrock, **__**Shimo Ino, **__**musiclover209, **__**Celtic **__**Aurora**__ (my best buddy!), __**vamplady101, **__**writerluv**__ and __**KitsuneyJenfner**__! I hope you will like this chapter! I must tell you that it's quite long indeed! Oh, and yes, Erik appears here, and so does this "true Evil" I had promised you… Please, read on, my lovelies, and don't forget to review!_

**Disclaimer:** _Well, I still don't own Van Helsing or the Phantom of the Opera, but I think I'll get over it…_

**Summary:** _Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, is considered evil, and the Holy Order sends Van Helsing after him. But things turn weird when secrets come to surface and true Evil enters…_

**Under The Veils Of The Night**

Chapter 3

_Paris, 1888 A.D._

The street in front of the Opera Populaire was wonderfully lit as carriages with guests arrived one after another for tonight's masquerade ball. The front of the House was brilliantly decorated for this special event, with garlands and lamps and millions of little beautiful things here and there that created a celebrating atmosphere. And this atmosphere surrounded the colorful crowd that entered the Opera House's gates gracefully, framed by happy chatting, songs and laughter. The Opera's inside welcomed them with ballet dancing and music appropriate for the occasion, and drinks were offered to the masked guests. The glorious staircase was polished and shining almost golden under the brilliant light of the heavy chandeliers. And truly, the color of gold was the dominant one in the hall, with tints of silver, dark green and crimson here and there, making everything look rich and royal.

Van Helsing entered the Opera House taking advantage of his blending with the crowd. His recognizable face was hidden behind a mask that had the color of blackish green, which strangely made his wolfish hazel eyes gleam green. The hunter's costume was black and decorated by dark green embroidery and various details. The feather on his wide-brimmed hat was also of that very color, and so were his cape and his gloves that completed his costume. Madame Giry had really made a good choice for Van Helsing's costume; he looked dark and elegant and fitted in the crowd, while at the same time he did not stand out in it. Wishing to remain out of the eye of the public, he took the drink that was offered to him and stood next to a pillar. His eyes were searching the masked people who were obviously enjoying themselves; he was watching carefully everything that was going on around, always being most alert, ready to take notice of everything unusual that might happen.

At a moment a young woman dressed in a creamy pink dress entered the hall, escorted by a blonde young man, who walked beside her with grace and confidence, gently cupping her elbow. She immediately attracted Van Helsing's attention, and he quickly recognized her face. She was Christine Daae, the young woman the Cardinal had mentioned. Christine Daae… So this was the one the Phantom was after. She looked very young and innocent to the hunter, still a teenager perhaps. What could possibly a villain want from such a pure creature? What could she possibly be hiding? His senses told him that there was nothing evil about her; she was truly pure and innocent, like a white winter rose… At a moment her eyes fell upon Van Helsing, only to be quickly distracted by a wonderful song that started and the enchanting ballet dance that accompanied it.

Masquerade

Paper faces on parade

Masquerade

Hide your face, so the world will never find you

Masquerade

Every face a different shade

Masquerade

Look around

There's another mask behind you

Masquerade

Burning glances, turning heads

Masquerade

Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you

Masquerade

Grinning yellows, spinning reds

Masquerade

Take your fill

Let the spectacle astound you

Suddenly all music died down, every laughter faded, and the lights went out. Van Helsing's senses were instantly alarmed and he moved forward among the crowd that had now gathered just below the magnificent staircase. Everyone's eyes turned upwards as a figure dressed in red made its entrance. Nobody else was wearing red. The figure was a man, and he was wearing a black mask that covered almost the whole of his face. But his piercing blue eyes stood out and sent chills to anyone who dared look at him.

"It's the Phantom!", whispered a woman beside Van Helsing, and what she said was entirely true. The hunter could not explain why he chose to appear dressed as the Red Death, but what alarmed him strangely was that he could not sense anything evil about the Phantom… What was going on? He chose to stay at his place and watch.

"Why so silent, good messieurs? Did you think that I had left you for good?", he asked with a bit of irony in his singing tone. "Have you missed me, good messieurs? I have written you an opera! Here I bring the finished score… Don Juan Triumphant!", he declared and threw the file with the score on the floor, while he was holding his sword forward. "Fondest greetings to you all! A few instructions just before rehearsal starts… Carlotta must be taught to act, not her normal trick of strutting round the stage. Our Don Juan must lose some weight… It's not healthy in a man of Piangi's age. And my managers must learn that their place is in an office, not the arts. As for our star, Miss Christine Daae...", he continued as he moved towards Christine, and even though she seemed to be quite stunned, she walked slowly to meet the Phantom, as if she was magnetized by him. "No doubt she'll do her best, it's true her voice is good. She knows, though, should she wish to excel, she has much still to learn… If pride will let her return to me… Her teacher, her teacher...", he whispered the last words and looked at Christine with eyes full of emotions. But suddenly his expression changed, as he noticed the engagement ring on the silver chain around Christine's neck. "Your chains are still mine! You belong to me!", he yelled as he grabbed the ring, and then he disappeared all of a sudden and in a haze of reddish smoke through a secret opening on the floor. Van Helsing made to follow him, but a hand gripped his arm firmly and stopped him.

"Don't". Van Helsing turned his head furiously to the person who stopped him. To his surprise, it was Madame Giry. However, before he had enough time to react, Raoul slid inside the secret opening, determined to go after the Phantom. Madame Giry's facial expression turned worried. "Leave, monsieur. There's nothing you can do now", she said and released his arm. Then she moved quickly, intending to find and save Raoul from the Phantom's traps.

Van Helsing made his way out of the Opera House, taking advantage of the mayhem that broke out among the crowd after the Phantom's exit. He was frustrated for having lost the chance to go after his target since Madame Giry had stopped him right in time. But he was determined to act soon. Tonight's events had proven to the hunter that Christine Daae was really someone the Phantom was after. He called himself a teacher of her. Was he really her teacher? Could it be possible that he really taught her to sing? If that was the case, why should he be considered evil? And, what's more, why did the hunter himself not sense anything evil about the so-called Phantom? Van Helsing could tell that the Phantom was just a man, perhaps a strange one, or perhaps a genius, like Madame Giry had said, but certainly not evil… His senses had never betrayed him, and his targets have always been evil creatures. But now things were different. A thought crossed his mind. Could it be that that the Holy Order had been mistaken? But then, Jinette had spoken about murders… What kind of a man, who was not evil by nature, could have committed such a crime?

These questions swirled in Van Helsing's head as he galloped away from the Opera Populaire. He also had to think of his next move. Apparently it was not possible to watch the Phantom's moves and pass unnoticed, since he lived in the underground of the theater and never came out… Right then an idea struck the hunter. If he could not become the Phantom's shadow, he would become the shadow of the one he was after. He would become the shadow of Christine Daae. And perhaps he would be able to find out the truth about her and the reason why the Phantom was after her.

So, he set his plan in action right the following day. The hunter chose a dark, narrow street across the Opera House, where he could perfectly stay hidden and watch. And truly, the third day of his watching he saw Christine Daae exiting the theater. It was very early in the morning, right after dawn. Heavy clouds were gathered in the sky and no ray of the sun could make its way to the earth's surface. This cold and dim morning chose Christine to pay a visit to her father's grave… She was wearing a long black dress and a dark cape. After a while Van Helsing saw her leaving on a carriage. Not thinking about it twice, he decided to follow her, so he quickly left his hiding place to get his horse. A few minutes later and as he was ready to start galloping towards the direction that Christine's carriage had taken, he saw something that made him hold back a bit. It was Raoul, Christine's young companion, and probably fiancé, and he was riding his horse towards the same direction, obviously following the carriage. But the fact that he was riding in frenzy arose suspicions in Van Helsing's experienced mind, suspicions that something was wrong… He allowed the young rider to gain a couple of minutes' head start, because he did not want to be noticed, and then the hunter spurred his black horse to a fast galloping.

Christine Daae entered the cemetery, which was located outside the city of Paris, and she slowly started walking towards her father's mausoleum. Confused and lost as she felt, she began to sing a sorrowful, yet melodic song:

You were once my one companion  
You were all that mattered  
You were once a friend and father  
Then my world was shattered

Wishing you were somehow here again  
Wishing you were somehow near  
Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed  
Somehow you would be here

Wishing I could hear your voice again  
Knowing that I never would  
Dreaming of you won't help me to do  
All that you dreamed I could

Passing bells and sculpted angels  
Cold and monumental  
Seem for you the wrong companions  
You were warm and gentle

Too many years fighting back tears  
Why can't the past just die?

Wishing you were somehow here again  
Knowing we must say goodbye  
Try to forgive, teach me to live  
Give me the strength to try

No more memories, no more silent tears  
No more gazing across the wasted years  
Help me say goodbye  
Help me say goodbye

Just as she finished her song a strange voice was heard, and it sounded to be coming from the inside of the mausoleum, which was now glowing reddish.

"Wandering child, so lost, so helpless… Yearning for my guidance!", the voice sang.

"Angel or father? Friend or Phantom? Who is it there, staring?", Christine responded to the voice.

"Have you forgotten your Angel?"

"Angel, oh, speak! What endless longings echo in this whisper?"

"Too long you've wandered in winter, far from my fathering gaze…"

"Wildly my mind beats against you…"

"You resist…"

"Yet the soul obeys!"

"Angel of Music!"

"You denied me…"

"I denied you…"

"Turning from true beauty… Angel of Music!", Christine and the Phantom sang together.

"Do not shun me", the Phantom asked of her.

"My protector… Come to me strange Angel!"

"I am your Angel of Music... Come to me, Angel of Music…", the Phantom sang and tried to seduce Christine, but right then horse trotting was heard and Raoul ran to her.

"No, Christine, wait! Wait!", he called at her.

"Raoul!"

"Whatever you believe, this man, this thing, is not your father!", he shouted, but then a very angered Phantom attacked him with his sword. Raoul fought back, and soon a wild swordfight started between the two men. None of the two seemed to be winning it, but its end was not meant to be known, as the galloping of a horse was heard and a dark rider entered the cemetery. He deftly jumped off of his horse and drew his two revolvers from their holsters. The targets of the revolvers were the two swordfighters.

"Stop or you're dead", he demanded in a strong, deep voice. The men stopped fighting and looked at the stranger in surprise. He was wearing a long, black, leather coat and also a black, wide-brimmed hat that covered his eyes.

"Van Helsing…!", Raoul whispered as he recognized the wanted man. "Do not harm Christine!", he begged of the hunter.

"I am not here for Christine…", the hunter responded in a hard but low voice, and turned his head towards the Phantom, who was standing motionless.

"But I am here for Christine!", a loud, piercing male voice was suddenly heard, and this voice belonged to none of the three men present. The voice was shortly followed by shrilling female cackle. All four people turned towards the direction of the voices, and what they saw shocked them. Or at least it shocked everyone but the hunter, who was now feeling true evil surrounding him. There, on the roof of Gustav Daae's mausoleum, stood a dead-pale man, dressed all in black, accompanied by two women who were clad in very revealing dresses. Then the three strangers jumped off the mausoleum and landed on the snow-covered ground, as if it was the most natural thing to do for them. The man walked forward, while the women stood behind and continued to cackle. "I must admit, however, that I had not expected such company", he spoke in a heavy, east-European accent, and stressed the word "company" as he eyed Van Helsing.

"Who the hell are you?", Van Helsing grunted, while his revolvers were still pointed at Raoul and the Phantom.

"Oh, Gabriel, Gabriel…! Such a pity you don't recognize me…! Let me introduce myself. I am Count Vladislaus Dragulia…", he said and bowed a bit like a noble man of the past.

"Dracula!", exclaimed Van Helsing as realization dawned on him, but he quickly regained his composure. "What the hell do you want here?"

"I am here for Christine… And don't stand in my way!", the Count yelled as he lunged for Christine.

"Christine is mine! I won't let you take her!", the Phantom shouted and ran after Dracula, but the raven-haired bride, Verona, blocked his way and tossed him aside.

"Raoul! Help me!", shouted a terrified Christine as Dracula grabbed her.

"Let her go! Let her go!", screamed Raoul, but the other bride, Aleera, came against him. "Get out of my way or I'll kill you!", he threatened the red-haired woman but she only laughed at him.

"Do you think you can kill me with this little… toy?", she said and pointed at his sword. "You can't kill a vampire so easily, my love!", she said in her creepy voice, and then dived forward against Raoul. Van Helsing shot the bride, but that only angered her and earned him a hard slap across his face that had him fall on the ground. Then she attacked Raoul again, aiming for his neck. The young man tried to defend himself, but he was weak and inexperienced against vampires. Aleera sank her fangs into his neck and drunk hungrily. Then she simply dropped Raoul's dead body on the ground.

"Raoul! No! No!", cried Christine and fought to escape Dracula's grasp, but his hold on her was strong indeed. He quickly transformed into the hellbeast that he was and flew upwards in the cloudy sky, over Gustav Daae's mausoleum and to an eastern direction. His brides followed right after him, leaving Van Helsing and the Phantom to stare at them in awe, and hate. Then the Phantom got to his knees, lowered his head and shut his eyes wide, as if he was trying to suppress tears.

"Oh, Christine… Christine…", he lamented and sobbed silently. Van Helsing was quite taken aback by this behavior of the Phantom, and he remained silent. He walked to Raoul's corpse only to find out that he was truly dead. The hunter knelt beside the body and did the sign of the cross.

"Requiescat in pace…", he whispered, and then stood again. He cast his gaze to the Phantom, who was still grieving over Christine's abduction. But slowly his grief turned into rage, and he shot up.

"You will curse the day you took her from me!", he yelled at the sky, towards the direction Dracula had flown. Then he moved to leave the cemetery, but Van Helsing grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Leave me alone!", the Phantom demanded, but his voice was broken.

"No", came the hunter's dry reply.

"Christine is mine! And I will get her back!", the Phantom yelled at Van Helsing, but he stood calm.

"I will not let you go after Dracula on your own. He will kill you."

"And why do you care? If I am not mistaken, you were here for me!"

"Yes, but not to kill you. You are not evil…", the hunter admitted. "Dracula is my target now", he continued firmly.

"I want Christine back! I don't care about your targets!"

"Look, the only way to keep a chance of getting her back is to cooperate with me. I don't know you, you don't know me, but our paths coincide at this point. I will go after Dracula, and Dracula has your Christine. I wouldn't want partners in my job otherwise, but I see that you are determined to go after her, and the girl needs to be saved anyway", Van Helsing explained, trying to reason with the Phantom. "So, will you cooperate with me, mister… Phantom?", he asked the masked man. The men assessed each other for a while, and then the Phantom nodded in agreement.

"My name is Erik."

Van Helsing nodded, and then the two of them mounted their horses and left the cemetery. The Phantom's case had turned quite strangely, and the hunter had to apprise the Vatican of the situation. Furthermore, his knowledge on the vampires was not enough, and neither were his weapons. So he let Erik return to the Opera House and he went to the telegraph office. The Order's answer came quickly. They expressed their worries about the unexpected events and they instructed him to leave immediately for Munich, Germany, where he would meet Carl the friar, who would be bringing all necessary weapons and information. They also gave him the name of the inn in which the friar would be staying.

Van Helsing quickly galloped back to the Opera Populaire. Surprisingly enough, Madame Giry was waiting for him.

"Monsieur Van Helsing…", she started as he approached her. "Erik spoke to me of everything", she said and her voice betrayed how upset she was. "Please, make sure that Miss Daae will not be hurt!", she begged him.

"I promise I will do my best", he responded.

"I place my trust and hopes on you both", she said as Erik came out of the secret entrance. He was wearing a black mask on his face, quite similar to the one he wore in the masquerade ball, only less fancy. His attire was mostly black too, but his shirt was white and his cape had a red inner lining.

"Thank you for everything, all these years…", the Phantom said to Madame Giry.

"Be safe", she wished them, and as Van Helsing mounted his horse, she handed Erik a purse made of purple velvet, full of golden coins. He smiled to her, and then got on his horse.

It was just after sundown when the two men left behind them the city of Paris and were now galloping fast towards Germany. They both knew that there would be many dangers awaiting them, but they were determined to meet them head on with bravery. Erik was willing to lay down his life for Christine, and he had sworn to take revenge on Dracula. And Van Helsing, apart from carrying out the next in line of his assignments, needed to find out who, or what, Dracula really was, and how on earth he knew him. He had called him with his first name, a name he had long forgotten, but now he remembered it. And during all the days that the two men would have to spend together, they would have the chance to find out about each other, and perhaps become friends.

**Author's note:** _Well, how was it then? It was funny to write the vampires' part! I always enjoy writing the villains, lol! And I really enjoyed killing of Raoul! I kind of never really liked him. But please, tell me what you think of it, and any ideas or recommendations that you may have. I take everything under consideration! Till next update, many kisses to everyone!_


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